Genesis 12

The Lord’s First Promise to Abram

1The Lord said to Abram,

“Leave your land,

your relatives,

and your father’s home.

Go to the land that I will show you.

2I will make you a great nation,

I will bless you.

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you, I will curse.

Through you every family on earth will be blessed.”

The LORD’s Second Promise to Abram

4So Abram left, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. 5Abram set out for Canaan. He took along his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the servants they had acquired in Haran.

6They arrived in Canaan, and Abram traveled through the land to the oak tree belonging to Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I’m going to give this land to your descendants.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

8He moved on to the hills east of Bethel, and he put up his tent—with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He also built an altar to the Lord there and worshiped the Lord. 9Abram kept moving toward the Negev.

Abram Deceives Pharaoh

10There was a famine in the land. Abram went to Egypt to stay awhile because the famine was severe. 11When he was about to enter Egypt, Abram said to his wife Sarai, “I know that you’re a beautiful woman. 12When the Egyptians see you, they’ll say, ‘This is his wife!’ Then they’ll kill me but let you live. 13Please say that you’re my sister. Then everything will be alright for me, and because of you I will live.”

14When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw how very beautiful his wife was. 15When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they raved about her to Pharaoh, so Sarai was taken to Pharaoh’s palace. 16Everything went well for Abram because of her, and he was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

17However, the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with terrible plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18Then Pharaoh called for Abram. “What have you done to me?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that she’s your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister’ and allow me to take her for my wife? Here’s your wife! Take her and go!” 20Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram. They sent Abram away with his wife and everything that he had.

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Genesis 12

The Call of Abram

1The Lord said to Abram:

Go from your land,

your relatives,

and your father’s house

to the land that I will show you.#Gn 15:7; Ac 7:3; Heb 11:8

2I will make you into a great nation,#Gn 17:4–6; 18:18; 46:3; Dt 26:5

I will bless you,#Gn 22:17

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.#Zch 8:13

3I will bless those who bless you,

I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt,#Gn 27:29; Nm 24:9

and all the peoples on earth

will be blessed#12:3 Or will find blessing through you.#12:3 Or will bless themselves by you#Gn 18:18; 26:4; 28:14; Ac 3:25; Gl 3:8

4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.#Gn 11:27,31 5He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem,#Gn 35:4; Dt 11:30; Heb 11:9 at the oak of Moreh. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) 7The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring#12:7 Lit seed#Gn 13:15; Ex 33:1; Ps 105:9–12; Ac 7:5; Gl 3:16 I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the Lord there, and he called on the name of the Lord.#Gn 4:26; 21:33 9Then Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev.

Abram in Egypt

10There was a famine in the land,#Gn 26:1; 43:1 so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land was severe. 11When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.#Gn 20:1–18; 26:6–11 13Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.” 14When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s household. 16He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

17But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife, Sarai.#Gn 20:18; 1Ch 16:21; Ps 105:14 18So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.

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